Star Citizen 2.2.0 now live on the PTU

Cloud Imperium are now ready to test the next alpha version of Star Citizen with the launch of 2.2.0 on the PTU.

This Star Citizen PTU roll out is going to be limited to start but it’s worth checking your email if you’re a backer to see if you’ve made the cut. There’s a lot to digest in this update:

This patch provides access to our new flyable Sabre, the hangar-ready Khartu-al, our new Hostility, Monitored Zone and Bounty systems as well as tweaks to our FPS animations, new fps weapons, and numerous fixes across the game. During this initial testing phase, PTU access will be restricted to a small group of players that we will expand on over time. We have also increased the maximum number of players per instance of Crusader from 16 to 24 on the PTU so that we can gather performance data.

Below are the patch notes and be aware of the “important issues” at the bottom of the list.

New Features

Star Systems:

Crusader

• The scale of the system has adjusted, the planet Crusader and moons are at a more appropriate distance from one another.
  • Comm Arrays have been re-positioned accordingly.
  • Comm Array 8 has been removed.
  • The Comm Arrays have been changed drastically as part of the new Monitored Space and Bounty systems and no longer unlock Research missions.
  • For the time being, Research Missions are now offered to characters who visit ICC Probe 849.
    • ICC probe 849 is now on the QT Nav Points list.
• There are three new icons on the player visor HUD while in Crusader.
  • An icon will appear in the top-left of your screen when you are in Monitored space.
    • This icon looks like a satellite sending off little signals.
  • To the right of Monitored Space, there is an icon to indicate when you are in an Armistice Zone.
    • This icon looks like a bullet with a line through it.
  • To the right of the Armistice Zone icon, an icon will appear if you are a wanted criminal.
    • This icon looks like a shooting range target, with a border that will become incrementally more orange with each Criminal level.

Game Systems:

Your efforts repairing Comm Arrays in Crusader have not gone unnoticed by Crusader Industries!

Monitored Space System

• “Monitored” space are large areas of the Crusader system that are being actively monitored by Crusader Industries. These areas are centered around any active Comm Arrays in Crusader, as well as Cryo-Astro and Port Olisar.
• By disabling the Comm Arrays, you can toggle monitored space off for that area. Likewise you can reactivate “Monitoring” by activating the local Comm Arrays.
• Comm Arrays will be active or disabled at-random when a instance is first brought up.
  • Disabling a Comm Array has consequences, because no-one except a Criminal would ever want to go unnoticed by Crusader Industries.
• Players who are not currently considered a “Criminal” will receive missions for any Comm Arrays that need to be reactivated.
• Player character kills made in unmonitored space will go unnoticed by local authorities.

Bounty System

• In an effort to improve security in the Crusader region while their local staffing is low, Crusader Industries has activated their “Bounty” system and encourages all pilots to hunt down any wanted criminals in their space.
• Destroying an empty ship, colliding with a landed ship (in Monitored space), or disabling a Comm Array gives the offending character 1 level of Wanted Criminal.
  • However, these are not cumulative and will not take your character above 1 Criminal level.
• Killing a player character or destroying an occupied ship (in Monitored space) gives 1 Cumulative level of Criminal.
• Crusader Security AI will spawn and attack any Criminal (of any wanted level), that enters the area around Cry-Astro Station or Port Olisar.
• There are 5 Criminal levels available. At Level 5 point, a global bounty mission is posted to all characters on the server instructing them to hunt down and kill the character.
  • Players who successfully complete the bounty mission for a Level 5 Criminal will find a Klaus & Werner ATT4 Energy rifle waiting for them in their bedroom on Port Olisar. Courtesy of Crusader Industries.
• Each Criminal level adds 30 seconds of “jail time” to your respawn. When a Criminal is killed, they will be locked into their spawn-bedroom for the duration of their penalty time.
• When a Level 5 Criminal is killed, they are removed from the server.
  • This functionality is for the purposes of testing of the system, as consequences within current game systems is limited.
• There are only two ways to reduce your Criminal level.
  • Waiting 10 minutes without committing a crime will naturally reduce the level by 1.
  • There is a console in Security Post Kareah that you can “hack”. Each hack you initiate and complete drops your wanted level by 1.
    • However, each hack takes 1 minutes to complete, and other criminals can interrupt your hack by initiating their own.

Hostility System

• Pirates and Crusader Security now recognize potential friends and foes.
  • Pirates will spawn to protect disabled Comm Arrays from non-Criminals.
  • Crusader Security will spawn to protect active Comm Arrays from Criminals.
  • Both will become much more aggressive toward anyone who takes action toward them.
• When a character initiates combat with another character, the aggressor is flagged as “hostile” to the defender.
  • Defenders do not receive a penalty or a Wanted Criminal level for killing a player that initiated combat in Monitored Space.

Important Issues

• There are red-gold lights surrounding the major space stations on Crusader, which is distorting visuals in the areas.
• Ship engines can sometimes become stuck at 10 m/s even when in SCM mode.
• The Klaus & Werner ATT4 energy rifle is not currently being awarded to players that kill a Level 5 Criminal.
• Using the Holotable in the Revel & York hangar will cause the game client to become unresponsive.
• EVA’ing back into a ship with interior physics is having issues such as permanent ragdoll and death.
  • We highly recommend using a ship with a cockpit if you have one available, or using the test Sabre.